Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-03-09

doctor lived, and hardly an hour
could the doctor then call his own.
And Mrs. SPHINX helpful hands we're
always busy those days-oft soothing
fretful little sufferer where others
had failed, until her name also be-
came beloved of the poor that learned
to know-till one night, when the
doctor came in to snatch u hurried
mouthful, Jane met him, calculating,
as best she could between her sobs
"Oh, master, the mistress is awful
bad, and she's locked in her room,
and she won't let me in, and-oh!"
she added, with a gulp, "she's been
a-talking to herself like anything, and
oh, master, if she's been and gone
and took the fever"
For moment the doctor did not
speak-a something about his heart
seemed to have ceased it's motion:
then pushing open the sitting room
door he gazed in. With shudder he
| turned away.
How empty the room seemed with
out the little figure that it had known
so long Putting the weeping Jane
aside, he hurried up stairs. As he
| listened outside his housekeeper' 8
door, her voice babbling disconnected
sentences fell upon his ear; then,
with white, set expression about his
mouth. he, pressing all his weight
against the door, burst it open.
| A startled look of amazement gath
cred in the doctors eyes as he bent
over the slight figure of his house
| l. IL
gazed with an unconscious stare into
his face.
"My God, spare her!" came with q
stified groan from the doctor, as his
| lips caressed the little hands that had
always done him such willing service.
The autumn was we'll under way be-
fore Mrs. Sphinx was able to sit up,
| for the doctor had fought with death
with her and conquered. 1t was the
first day of her convalescence, and the
housekeeper sat in a large easy chair
before cheerful fire, awaiting the
doctors coming. A wistful look
shone in her brown eyes 1.-THE specta-
cles had been laid aside during her
illness), and there was a tremulous
CULVER to her lips, while one or two
tears chung to her dark lashes. She
dashed them hastily aside as we'll
known step sounded outside. The
next moment the doctor Was asking
her how she felt.
ooh, / am much stronger" she
answered, with lowered lids. Then, as
the color literally dyed her cheeks
crimson, she exclaimed: ooh, what
must you think of me? But, indeed
indeed, / never thought to be found
out"
The doctor was about to speak, but
she stayed him with:
"No, you must hear me. believed
it was my last chance, and it seemed
such an easy thing to do when | read
the advertisement. / had tried SO
hard to get place as governess, but
was always too young. [ made sure
you would be an elderly gentleman,
and / was dreadfully scared when |
found out you were not, but saw
that you never suspected, and that
you gave me courage, and then, you
see, poor papa having been an actor,
I took to making up quite naturally.
It was the finding of the wig and things
in his trunk that first put the idea in
my head. And--oh! doctorl hope
you don't think very dreadful of me.
was quite alone here in the great
city. / never could make any friends,
you see, because we were always trav-
cling about, papa and l, after ne took
me from school, until he-he died, and
then the money WAS so soon gone, and
I did want g. home so. But, of course,
will go away now. don't think [
can to-day, but tomorrow [ will be
stronger, and my name is not Mrs.
Sphinx. 1t is Ruth Langley"
Softly drawing away the hands that
shielded Ruth g fearful face, the doctor
said husklly:
"And what am to do without my
little housekeeper? Doyou suppose I
can bear to lose her when she hiss
grown to be part OF my life? OF
course" he added, smiling slightly,
''she cannot stay as Mrs. SPHINX, but
as Mrs. Nathaniel Reed-she might"
Then growing suddenly grave he con-
tinued: "But I think only of myself.
Yet Ruth, OH my darling! if you
could learn to loveme? Why" with
aforced laugh, ct believe have been in
love with my housekeeper from the
very first, despite the gray wig and
specs"
He had knelt down beside her
chair, and as he ceased speaking lit
tie hand stole timidly toward his and
a tiny dimple began to creep shyly
into view at the corner of her mouth,
but was quickly buried out of sight
beneath the doctors nustache as she
murmured:
ooh! doctor, don't you know it was
just-just what you have been say
ing, that was making it so hard for
me to CO."
Abby Folsom
From the Independent